Heritage sites

The Sigatoka Sand Dunes National Park is one of three sites added to the World Heritage. Picture: coralcoastfiji.org

THREE national heritage sites were identified as Fiji's nomination to the world heritage tentative list.

This was revealed during a regional training workshop in Suva yesterday aimed at enhancing the management of world heritage sites in the Pacific.

The three sites are Sovi Basin in Naitasiri, Sigatoka Sand Dunes and the Yadua Taba crested iguana sanctuary on Yadua Island in Bua, Vanua Levu.

United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) representative for the Pacific State based in Samoa, Dr Katsuki Takahashi, said Fiji was taking the lead on heritage sites in the Pacific.

She congratulated Fiji for its first world heritage site on Levuka.

She said there was a higher recognition of the value of the site and this would also need an increased budget for the department dealing with the heritage sites.

"I believe this presented a good case and more sites are to be nominated for the heritage," Dr Takahashi said.

She said it was important to develop a good management branch in consultations with the community.

Dr Takahashi added that Fiji might also want to review its lists besides sites already on the tentative list. Dr Takahashi said more effort and investment were needed for the Pacific.

She said through the world heritage site, $US30,000 ($F56,000) was given to complement national funding.

National Trust of Fiji director Elizabeth Erasito said they would analyse and decide which site should be nominated next.